In May, Michael Phelps took center stage before a House committee, voicing his concerns about WADA’s handling of the Chinese swimmers’ doping scandal. Just a month prior, WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) had confirmed a troubling report revealing that nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers tested positive for banned substances but somehow avoided consequences. This situation unfolded ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, where many of these ‘accused’ athletes ended up snagging medals. Yet, despite the severity of the situation, WADA had remained silent for the past three years, failing to pursue cases that could have led to suspensions if guilt was established. This inaction prompted Phelps to take a stand.

During the hearing, he argued, “It is clear to me that any attempts of reform at WADA have fallen short, and there are still deeply rooted systemic problems that prove detrimental to the integrity of international sports and athletes’ right to fair competition, time and time again.” Now, following Phelps’s testimony, reports suggest that WADA’s failures are becoming even more evident after a blunder at the Paris Olympics.

Michael Phelps’ argument of grave negligence appears to have received proof

On September 27, The New York Times published a report that shed light on the chaos at WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) just as the Paris Olympics were around the corner. Authored by Tariq Panja and Michael S. Schmidt, the article reveals shocking details: “Lawyers for the organization told a meeting of top officials in late May that a series of problems with its databases had led to corrupted, missing or incorrect data related to at least 2,000 cases, and as a result, the agency had even lost track of more than 900 test results from athletes who had been accused of breaking antidoping rules.” This loss of data points resulted in another mess. 

According to the published news source, because of the missing data points, the lawyers were concerned about the proper tracking of the athletes who were scheduled to compete in the Paris Olympics. So would there be any athlete in the Paris Olympics who had been accused of doping and should not have been allowed the berth?

The report said that WADA had confirmed to review the status of all athletes successfully before the Games began. Additionally, it mentioned having “no negative impact whatsoever on the Paris 2024 Olympic or Paralympic Games” because of the internal error. However, the perspective raised various questions. The same report narrates that several officials and lawyers of WADA were alarmed about the possibility of shortcomings because of the system error.

They were informed of the slipping of athletes who were under investigation because of doping. But the complaint is that the concerned officials may have been seated on the issue, fearing backlash. At that moment, the agency was already having that because of the Chinese swimmers’ fiasco. A further degradation was hardly wanted. But if the mess is true, then it backs Michael Phelps’s argument. However, the picture at the Paris Olympics was not less concerning. 

The International Testing Agency publishes a distressing report 

Michael Phelps blamed WADA for having systematic errors, and the latest report in The New York Times is capable of garnering frowns. However, in his testimony, the 23-time Olympic champion said, “As athletes, our faith can no longer be blindly placed in the World Anti-Doping Agency, an organization that continuously proves that it is either incapable or unwilling to enforce its policies consistently around the world.” In the Paris Olympics, a part of it was present when the International Testing Agency came down heavily on the issue.

Under its anti-doping program for the Paris Olympics, ITA collected 6,130 samples during July and August. The number of athletes who fell under this program remained higher compared to that of the Tokyo or Rio Olympics. Now those samples are slated to be stored for 10 years for further examination. That’s how ITA tried to put a net on the issue.

Notably, the program even convicted five athletes for violating 40 rules. These athletes were bound to compete in the Paris Olympics, and because of the timely approach, they were prohibited. Now, the ongoing issue may take a few more turns. Please keep an eye on this space for future updates.